I had been putting off listening to this because I feared it wouldn't live up to the brilliance of PAINLESS. I needn't have worried.
While it may not have quite the same impact as PAINLESS's high points, it is still a tremendous album. It starts with energy and pace but quickly settles into a record that feels reflective and considered. It may be less catchy and poppy, but it's an album that gently envelops you, and I like that. Bonus points for the toms on Mutations.
i think this is gonna be an album that i look back on in a few months and think ykno, maybe this is only 3 stars and then i look back on it again in a few years and think what the hell was i on about, this is clearly 5 stars! so suffice it to say i'm feeling very 4 stars about it on 26 september 2024
This album really has 2 acts. The first half is extremely grungy showcasing tons of artistic growth. I love her exploration into post-punk and “Keep on Dancing” through “Binding” have been on repeat nonstop (shout out to “Like I Say” which is one of my most listened to tracks of 2024). Once the album slows down, it has a really hard time picking back up. The songs are beautiful, but any given track like “Call it Love” gets diluted by the surrounding ballads, which is something we’ve grown to expect out of Nilufer. Overall definitely very satisfied, but expectations will be sky high for her next record.
She sounds like nothing else really. Didn't love it quite as much as Painless, but maybe just because it took me less by surprise. Some huge hooks over very idiosyncratic production.